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Species
Magazine of the
Species Survival Commission
Issue 51 January – June 2010
The pill and the sacred cow:
pharmaceuticals and the environment
CBD explained
Specialist Group exchange
Species 51
Contents
1 Editorial
5 The pill and the sacred cow:
pharmaceuticals and the
environment
8 CBD explained
11 Specialist Group exchange
22 Key outcomes for CITES
23 Steering Committee update
25 Species Programme update
30 Publications summary
Species is the magazine of the IUCN
Species Programme and the IUCN Species
Survival Commission. Commission members,
in addition to providing leadership for
conservation efforts for specific plant and
animal groups, contribute to technical and
scientific counsel to biodiversity conservation
projects throughout the world. They provide
advice to governments, international
conventions, and conservation organizations.
Team Species Dena Cator, Julie Griffin,
Leigh Ann Hurt, Kathryn Pintus, and
Rachel Roberts
Layout www.naturebureau.co.uk
Cover Primary cloud forest in Reserva Las
Palmas, Vilcabamba, Ecuador
© Rebecca Miller
Opinions expressed in this publication do not
necessarily reflect official views of IUCN/SSC
ISSN 1016-927x
© 2010 IUCN—International Union for
Conservation of Nature
Email: species@iucn.org
For address changes, notify:
SSC Membership
Species Programme, IUCN
Rue Mauverney 28
CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
Phone: +44 22 999 0268
Fax: +44 22 999 0015
Email: sscmembership@iucn.org
SSC members are encouraged to receive the
SSC monthly electronic news bulletin.
Please contact Team Species at
species@iucn.org for more information.
Species is available electronically at: Impatiens nyungwensis © Prof Dr Eberhard Fischer
www.iucn.org/species
Editorial
Message from the SSC Chair and
the Head of the IUCN Species
Programme
In the last issue of Species, we provided a very long update,
as there was so much to report on over the year since the
previous issue appeared. This time we have reverted to our
normal six-monthly cycle, and so you will be relieved to learn
that the message from us is much shorter!
We are now, of course, in 2010, the International Year of
Biodiversity (IYB). This is more than just a branding gimmick
with a nice logo. This year, the world’s governments have to
take some critically important decisions relating to the future
of biodiversity and the species that we all care about.
The first thing to note relates to the 2010 Biodiversity Tiger Treefrog (Hyloscirtus tigrinus) from Magdalena Lake in the
Target of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) to Colombian Andes. © F. José López-López
reduce the rate of biodiversity loss. Was the 2010 Target
achieved? The results of all the official indicators of the have a problem in our own ranks. As conservationists, we
target are now in, and the key findings are given in the 3rd are used to thinking small. We fear that the sorts of figures
Global Biodiversity Outlook, and summarized in an important we have given in the above paragraph are not politically
paper published in Science by Stuart Butchart and over 40 realistic (and there are plenty of people out there to tell us
colleagues (including many SSC members), entitled “Global that this is so), and so we set our sights way too low and
Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines”. The overall then wonder why conservation goals become ever more
picture is pretty depressing. The rate of biodiversity loss is elusive. As long as we continue to suffer from a monumental
not slowing, while the pressures on biodiversity are growing lack of ambition in the conservation movement, we shall
rapidly. But most worrying of all, the rate of increase in have, at best, isolated local successes against a backdrop of
responses to these pressures has slowed since 2002 when continuing deterioration. We have to break out of our
the target was set. In other words, the gap between the traditional mindset if we are to succeed.
pressures and the responses is widening, and the only By the time you read this, the world’s governments will
possible result of this is acceleration in biodiversity loss and already be far advanced in their negotiations to agree a new
species extinctions, with growing risks to human wellbeing. set of targets for biodiversity conservation post-2010. At
Why is this gap widening? Simply because the political present, it looks as if they will agree an overall biodiversity
will is lacking to pay the costs of saving biodiversity, even vision for 2050, a biodiversity mission for 2020, and a series
though the recent report on The Economics of Ecosystems of targets also for 2020. The final agreements on this will not
and Biodiversity (TEEB) has indicated that the costs of be concluded until the CBD Conference of the Parties in
inaction are likely to be far greater than the costs of action. Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010.
The current level of international assistance for biodiversity IUCN and SSC have played an active role in advising
has been estimated at a startlingly low figure of US $2 billion governments during these negotiations, and progress so far
per year. The draft papers for the new CBD Strategic Plan has been encouraging. IUCN has a position paper called “A
call for a ten-fold increase in international biodiversity New Vision for Biodiversity Conservation” on the CBD post-
assistance by 2020. IUCN has gone further and is calling for 2010, which has already been circulated to SSC members
each OECD country to contribute at least 0.3% of GDP to (additional copies can be obtained from species@iucn.org).
international biodiversity assistance, in addition to the 0.7% In putting together this paper, we have focused in particular
already committed for international development assistance. on the urgent need for the world to take action now to
At today’s prices that is US $120 billion per year. Economists address the drivers of biodiversity loss if we are to start
will argue about what the correct number is to secure a seeing significant signs of success. We have therefore
future for biodiversity and ourselves, but all will probably proposed the following mission: to have put in place by 2020
agree that it is between one and two orders of magnitude all the necessary policies and actions to prevent further
higher than what is being spent now. biodiversity loss. The achievement of this mission will
But will we do it? We are convinced that if we do not, we certainly require a massive increase in funding for
will soon come to regret our short-sightedness. However, we biodiversity conservation, as indicated above.
species 51 • 1
editorial
In the context of this mission, IUCN is proposing 20 and Diane Skinner), Asian Elephants (Simon Hedges) and
specific targets for 2020, including, among others: halting African Rhinos (Richard Emslie). In the months leading up to
the loss and degradation of forests and other natural the conference, IUCN and TRAFFIC had worked on
habitats; eliminating overfishing and destructive fishing producing the Analyses of Proposals to Amend the CITES
practices; sustainably managing all areas under agriculture, Appendices, which is the key document in terms of providing
aquaculture and forestry; bringing pollution, from excess the best science to the governments to guide them in their
nutrients and other sources, below critical ecosystem loads; decisions on listing proposals. This is the ninth time that we
controlling pathways introducing and establishing invasive have produced the Analyses, and Thomasina Oldfield and
alien species; reducing impacts of multiple pressures on her team did a truly outstanding job in pulling together the
coral reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems affected by impossible within the extremely tight CITES deadlines.
climate change and ocean acidification; effectively protecting The IUCN delegation at the CITES conference was led by
at least 15% of land and sea, including the areas of Sue Mainka. Dena Cator did an enormous amount of work,
particular importance for biodiversity; and preventing the both before and during the conference, to organize the
extinction of known threatened species. The exact wording delegation and make sure that we were on top of all the
that is finally agreed on all of these targets is extremely issues. The conference itself was dominated by proposals to
important, as it will tell us how ambitious the governments list several species of shark and the Bluefin Tuna on the
are prepared to be; it will also define the global political CITES Appendices, and to transfer the African Elephant
context in which the SSC will have to operate over the next populations of Tanzania and Zambia from Appendix I to
ten years, perhaps longer. This is why we are taking these Appendix II. These proposals generated an enormous
negotiations so seriously. amount of controversy, both in the media and in the
In addition to engaging with the very important, but conference itself, and all of them failed to secure the
complex, negotiations on the post-2010 target framework, necessary two-thirds majority to pass. There are inevitably
we have also launched an important new initiative of our own questions as to whether or not CITES will be able to break
to raise the profile of the IYB: Species of the Day. As many out of the deadlock that it currently faces on these highly
SSC members know, since 1 January we have featured a controversial issues. The role of CITES in relation to
new species every day since the beginning of the year. We commercial fisheries remains as hot a topic as ever. Despite
have highlighted an amazing variety of species, ranging from these controversies, the CITES conference achieved a lot,
the extremely well known, such as the Polar Bear and the for example: the Mexican population of Morelet’s Crocodile
African Elephant, to lichens, cup fungi, seagrasses, conifers, was transferred from Appendix I to Appendix II, as was the
cycads, oaks, baobabs, legumes, palms, rock-roses, Egyptian population of the Nile Crocodile; and the Critically
mangroves, corals, mussels, snails, dragonflies, millipedes, Endangered Kaiser’s Newt from Iran was added to
wetas, sharks, skates, coelacanths, eels, groupers, wrasses, Appendix I. SSC Specialist Groups were heavily involved in
catfish, frogs, salamanders, crocodiles, turtles, tortoises, detailed negotiations to improve the management and
snakes, lizards and a wide variety of birds and mammals. I control of unsustainable and illegal trade, for example, in the
think it is fair to say that only the SSC could have produced Humphead Wrasse and in rhinos. In both of these cases, the
such an attractive and informative profiles on such a broad relevant SSC Specialist Groups, working with TRAFFIC,
range of species in such a short time. Each species profile produced detailed reports that appeared in the formal
includes a photo, text and a distribution map. Pulling all this meeting papers, and which were very influential in guiding
together has been a massive effort, superbly led by Rachel the debate.
Roberts, and ably assisted by Kathryn Pintus, Vineet Another major event of the past six months has been the
Katariya, Julie Griffin, Dena Cator, Jim Ragle and many others publication of a short paper in the Policy Forum section of
in the Species Programme, and a great writing team at Science magazine entitled “The Barometer of Life”. This
ARKive led by Michelle Lindley and Lucie Muir. SSC paper, on which Simon is the lead author, is co-authored by
Specialist Groups have done a great job in reviewing the Edward O. Wilson, Jeff McNeely, Russ Mittermeier and SSC
texts and sourcing photos, and UNEP has provided generous Deputy Chair Jon Paul Rodríguez. It calls for a major
financial support. Species of the Day has generated investment in broadening the taxonomic base of the IUCN
enormous interest among the public. By April, 600 websites Red List so that it can truly fulfil its enormous potential as
and blogs were using the Species of the Day button, and we The Barometer of Life.
now have over 900 followers on Twitter. The number of visits
to the Red List website has also increased significantly. Some other highlights of the past six months include:
Of course, other important activities have continued,
despite all this frenzy relating to IYB. One particularly 1. Save Our Species (SOS). Work on establishing the
important one for the SSC was the 14th Conference of the SOS Fund is progressing well, and the first US $ 1 million
Parties to the Convention on International Trade in from the World Bank has now been confirmed. The
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which formal project proposal for the full US $10 million has
took place in Doha in March. IUCN was present in force, and been completed, and is awaiting formal approval from
a number of SSC Specialist Groups were well represented the CEO of the Global Environment Facility. Meanwhile,
– for example Sharks (Sonja Fordham and Sarah Fowler), the SSC Advisory Group on SOS has been formed to
Groupers and Wrasses (Yvonne Sadovy), Crocodiles help guide the setting of priorities for the projects to be
(Grahame Webb and Tom Dacey), Tortoises and Freshwater supported. It is being chaired by Luigi Boitani from the
Turtles (Peter Paul van Dijk), African Elephants (Holly Dublin SSC Steering Committee.
2 • species 51
editorial
2. Re-introduction Guidelines. The work on revising and 6. Climate change. Part of the work of the Standards and
updating the Re-introduction Guidelines has now started, Petitions Sub-Committee meeting in January was to
thanks to generous support from the Al Ain Wildlife Park develop preliminary guidelines on the use of the IUCN
and Resort. The initial planning meeting has now been Red List Categories and Criteria in the face of climate
held. The process is being led by the Re-introduction change. These preliminary guidelines can be found on
Specialist Group, chaired by Frédéric Launay, and the pages 70–81 of version 8.0 of the Guidelines for Using
Invasive Species Specialist Group is also heavily the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Work now
involved. needs to start on developing the full Red List climate
change guidelines, and we are currently seeking funding
3. Species Conservation Planning. The new Species for this. Meanwhile, the SSC Steering Committee
Conservation Planning Sub-Committee, chaired by Mark decided in its January meeting in Venezuela to establish
Stanley Price, is now in the process of being formed, and a new SSC Task Force on Climate Change, with the job
Specialist Groups will soon be hearing more about this. of providing strategic guidance and oversight to our work
This initiative is also generously supported by the Al Ain in this area. We are currently considering whom to invite
Wildlife Park and Resort. to chair the new Task Force; Wendy Foden will provide
back-up from the Species Programme.
4. Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT).
We reported on IBAT in the last issue of Species. 7. Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA). Good progress
Through IBAT, the World Database on Protected Areas, has been made in the formation of the ASA to address
Important Bird Areas, Key Biodiversity Areas and the the amphibian extinction crisis. We now have funding
IUCN Red List are brought together in an online tool to committed from Chester Zoo, Conservation International,
support the private sector, development banks and Frankfurt Zoo, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Wildlife
others in making sound decisions that take full regard of Conservation Society, Zoological Society of London and
the available conservation-related data. After months of from former SSC Chair George Rabb. We would like to
negotiating, the formal IBAT Agreement has just been express our thanks to each of these for their extremely
finalized between IUCN, UNEP-WCMC, BirdLife generous support. This funding is now sufficient to
International and Conservation International. enable us to move ahead to recruit the staff for the ASA
and to get the programme running. We look forward to
5. Red List progress. An update of the IUCN Red List reporting on progress in the next issue.
took place in late March 2010, focusing especially on
European invertebrates. This update also covered 8. New SSC Specialist Groups. The SSC Steering
sturgeon species globally (for which a shocking 85% of Committee approved the establishment of several new
species are threatened, and 63% are Critically Specialist Groups. A new Small Mammal SG (covering
Endangered (with some possibly already Extinct). There rodents, hedgehogs, shrews and tree-shrews) is in the
will be further public updates in September and October process of being formed, and co-chairs are being
this year, and the findings from these updates will be recruited. The new Viper SG will be chaired by Chris
particularly important in influencing the final biodiversity Jenkins, the new Chameleon SG by Richard Jenkins and
negotiations taking place in Nagoya in October. the new Grasshopper SG by Axel Hochkirch. It was also
Meanwhile, we are very close to concluding the new agreed to re-establish the former South Asian
Red List Partnership Agreement, which has been in Invertebrate SG, and the chair is currently being agreed.
complex negotiations for several years. This expands the In addition, the re-establishment of the Bustard SG,
Red List Partnership by bringing in five new agreed at the previous meeting, has now taken effect,
organizations: Botanic Gardens Conservation and the new chair is Olivier Combreau. Please join us in
International; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; Texas A&M welcoming each of these SGs into the SSC family.
University; University of Rome “La Sapienta”, and
Wildscreen. These join IUCN and the existing Partners: 9. SSC Freshwater Conservation Sub-Committee. The
BirdLife International; Conservation International; SSC is governed by a Steering Committee, under which sit
NatureServe; and, the Zoological Society of London. a number of sub-committees which oversee key parts of
The Red List Partners are organizations that agree to the SSC programme (the current sub-committees cover
commit resources (financial and in-kind) to support the marine, plants, invertebrates, the Red List programme, Red
work of the IUCN Red List. The expansion of the List standards and petitions, and species conservation
Partnership is extremely good news for the SSC, and a planning). The Steering Committee decided that a new
vote of confidence in the Red List. At a much more sub-committee is needed to cover freshwater biodiversity
technical level, in January the SSC Standards and and to drive forward our work in this critically threatened
Petitions Sub-Committee and Red List Technical set of ecosystems. Topiltzin Contreras has been appointed
Working Group both met to work through a range of as the Chair of the Freshwater Conservation Sub-
issues relating to the Red List and the underlying Committee, and we are most grateful to Chester Zoo for
software – the Species Information System (SIS). funding the costs of its first meeting.
Among the outputs of this work is version 8.0 of the
Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and 10. Recognizing SSC members. The Steering Committee
Criteria, now available on the IUCN Species website. also decided that we are not recognizing long-serving,
species 51 • 3
editorial
hard-working SSC members appropriately. Accordingly, while the government requested a full environmental
it was decided to revamp the SSC awards, and some of assessment. SSC scientists, led by Jim Harris, chair of the
the membership categories, in order to give the Crane Specialist Group, working with the IUCN Office in
recognition that is in many cases due. More details will China and the IUCN Water Programme, are now pulling
be provided to SSC members over the coming months, together a major study which we believe will be an important
but we can let you know now that we agreed to re- contribution to the overall assessment. We very much hope
establish the SSC Roll of Honour, which includes a very that this will ensure that the extraordinary and irreplaceable
limited number of people who have made extraordinary biological values of Poyang Lake are fully taken into account
leadership contributions to the Commission. The Roll in the decisions expected in the coming months. To us, this
previously included HRH Prince Bernhard, Lieut. Col. is a powerful example of the SSC and IUCN Secretariat
C.L. Boyle, Richard Fitter, Maisie Fitter, Kai Curry-Lindahl, working closely together on an issue of critical international
Boonsong Lekagul, Ian Grimwood, Grenville Lucas and importance, and we hope that it leads to the long-term
Alexey Yablokov. The new members of the Roll of Honour conservation of Poyang Lake.
agreed by Steering Committee are: Sir Peter Scott,
George Rabb, Ralph Daly, Lee Talbot and Hal Coolidge. We would like to thank all of you, both in the SSC and on
the staff, for your continued dedication to the cause of
There is much more that we could write, as the activity level saving the world’s species, for their own sake and for the
in the SSC, ably supported by the Species Programme, is a good of humanity.
wonder to behold. We conclude with an update on
something reported in our last Editorial. We told you how the Simon Stuart
IUCN Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, had written to Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission
the Prime Minister of China concerning proposals to place a
barrage at the outlet of Poyang Lake, where 98% of the Jane Smart
world’s Siberian Cranes spend the winter. Following this Head, IUCN Species Programme
letter, the proposals to build the barrage were put on hold Director, Biodiversity Conservation Group
4 • species 51
The pill and the sacred cow
Current areas of concern with
pharmaceuticals and the environment
By R.A. Kock1 Co-Chair, IUCN Wildlife Health Specialist Group
Anthropogenic impacts on the natural world
are increasing at an unprecedented rate;
these parallel the human population growth
and that of their domesticated animals. Who
would have thought that medicines would
ultimately pollute and threaten the natural
world? The experience of diclofenac, a
popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent
driving vultures close to extinction, has taken
this from fantasy to reality. Humans will not
give up medicines easily, but what are the
issues and what is the real scale of the
threat? Can people, society or governments
effectively mitigate against this risk?
Improved analytical methods (Focazio et al., 2004) and
increasing concern has led to research and evidence of
actual and potential ecotoxicological risks from
pharmaceutical drugs entering the environment. The
presence of these drugs in the environment is a fact, albeit
mostly detected at extremely low levels. A significant number
of agents have been identified as presenting some risk and Zebu (Bos taurus). © Richard Kock
need to be further evaluated (Boxall, 2004). Some of these
chemicals are persistent, potentially cumulative, or can act
synergistically with others to produce an effect on living In Hinduism, the cow is considered to be a god, and as such
organisms. must die a natural death. As a result, large numbers of
Chemical characteristics of pharmaceuticals tend to lead sacred cows were treated in their old age with diclofenac to
to them ending up in water bodies (Breton and Boxall, 2003), ease their pain and discomfort prior to death. The drug then
and most of the attention to date has been directed at field accumulated in carcasses at concentrations lethal to
run-off and sewage systems. Conflicting this dogma, the vultures across their range. The acute sensitivity of vultures
contamination of cattle carcasses in South Asia with to this drug and its pharmaceutical family (NSAIDs) was
diclofenac, a drug used in both human and veterinary confirmed, and the issue was finally exposed (Green et al.,
medicine, took the industry, research and conservation 2006, Taggart et al., 2006). The human pharma-industry
communities by surprise. This was now a terrestrial problem, does not readily accept any blame for the vulture tragedy,
and totally unforeseen. The issue only came to light long after which they consider to be a veterinary problem.
the drug was released onto the market and after the three The only other environmental impact currently accepted
species of Gyps vultures, once super-abundant on the sub- by the research community to be a result of normal use of
continent, were brought to virtual extinction. The drugs were human pharmaceuticals is the problem arising from the
by then generic, and produced in huge quantities by a myriad widespread use of the human birth-control pill. Synthetic
of small and large manufacturers locally and across the world. oestrogens, together with natural oestrogens and
oestrogen mimics, have caused feminization of male fish
1 R.A. Kock, Head, Wildlife Health Programme, Zoological Society London,
(Nagler et al., 2001).
Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY. Email: richard.kock@zsl.org
species 51 • 5
The pill and the sacred cow – Current areas of concern with pharmaceuticals and the environment
The industry claims that they are vigilant, and that the
process of research and development is highly structured
and predictive. However, the process of pharmaceutical
evaluation is largely oriented to reduce human or domestic
animal toxicity. Until relatively recently, there has been little
consideration of the toxicity to the environment or to
perceived non-target species. The vulture story might be an
extraordinary event, but extinction is a tragedy and should
not be understated. What is clearly a concern is that
regulations to protect against this sort of eventuality, and
controls over the manufacturing industry for
pharmaceuticals, are not effective in most developing
countries. This results in large quantities of cheap, and often
suspect, biologically active chemicals entering the food
chain and the environment.
Pharmaceuticals: their
development and regulations to
prevent potentially negative
environmental effects
The diclofenac tragedy and the increasing evidence of the
impacts of environmental oestrogens on higher vertebrates
affected confidence in the industry and its ability to self- infrastructure and effective disposal systems. Assumptions
regulate and prevent such events from occurring. Even prior are made in risk assessments for most products developed
to this, lobby groups were encouraging governments to in the US and Europe, but not for worst-case scenarios that
bring in tighter controls. often occur in developing countries. Here, pharmaceuticals
are rarely used according to manufacturers’
Two main risk mitigation strategies were employed: recommendations, cross-species use is uncontrolled, and
disposal of pharmaceuticals is most certainly not carried out
1. To improve the detection of potential environmental toxins according to recommendations.
arising from pharmaceuticals during the research and
development stage.
Where does the responsibility for
The testing regimes for human and veterinary products are
designed to best predict the effects on the environmental
contamination and the after-
systems where they are most likely to occur, as a result of effects lie, and what policy could
recommended use and based on knowledge of the chemical reduce the risks?
and physical properties of the active ingredient(s). Emphasis
is currently on aquatic processes and risks, and the IUCN and the SSC became involved in this issue in 2006,
laboratory animals used to establish avian and mammalian recognising that pharmaceuticals in the environment,
LD50s1 are selected largely on convenience. As such, there through rising use and abuse, were indeed a threat to
is a need to identify more surrogate species to ensure biodiversity and its conservation. A series of ad hoc
transferable results. Currently, tests do not address the risk meetings under the auspices of the IUCN SSC Wildlife
to biodiversity, and toxicity tests are mostly based on short- Health Specialist Group (WHSG) were held with NGOs and
term and single-drug studies. There are few chronic toxicity various industry and government agencies in the United
tests, and little consideration is given to the potential Kingdom, culminating in a workshop at the World
cumulative effects of chemicals. Conservation Congress in Barcelona in 2008. The idea was
to increase understanding and awareness of the problem,
2. To improve the control over the inappropriate use and and identify gaps in knowledge, research and policy needs.
disposal of pharmaceuticals. The approach to ensuring safety of pharmaceuticals in
the environment (PIE) is currently focussed on potential
A weak area of risk assessment is on the predicted use impacts of medicines on species most likely to be exposed,
patterns, likely disposal routes, and degree of environmental together with monitoring background levels in the
exposure across different ecosystems. The procedures have environment (water and terrestrial ecosystems). With new
been largely developed in countries with sophisticated social pharmaceuticals, the regulators and the applicant
attempting to register a pharmaceutical work together on the
1 LD50 is the dose of drug necessary to result in the mortality of 50% of the
testing protocols within the guidelines set down under the
test species legislation. There is currently little scope for concerned
6 • species 51
FEATURE
parties to influence the process if ecotoxicological risk for a Acknowledgements
particular non-target species is identified, other than through Thanks are given to many colleagues who contributed through
changes in legislation/regulation. Inevitably, the parties the meetings of the IUCN Pharma group and at WCC: David
cannot take into account all species sensitivities and food Taylor, Richard Pettifor, Debbie Pain, Richard Cuthbert, Ngaio
chain anomalies, as demonstrated by the diclofenac vulture Richards, Rafiq Mohamed, Mike Murray, Stephen Dawson,
poisoning. Les Heelam, Shaun Persow, Conor Kreutsch, Annapurna N.
The question as to whether the framework for veterinary Das, Alistair Boxall, Celia Sanchez, Jacob Mwanzia, Gladys
pharmaceutical risk needs to be changed, following the Kalema-Zikusoka, M.M. Sreltarn, Mahmud, Vivian Valencia,
discovery of the impact of NSAIDs on vultures, has been Martine van Zyl Abid Ali, Kristy Faccer, Ishana Thapa, Ageez
raised and this problem is likely to continue to influence P.A., Vijay Kumar, Alistair Gammell, Anaid Velasco, Marta
developments in the future. The fact is that much of the Perez Revuelta, Natalia Sierra Cornejo, Nicky Shongwe,
present EC and other legislation governing pharmaceuticals Gemma Serch, Angela Yang, Kristine Smith Xavier de Lamo,
and the environment are providing even greater margins of Christina Connolly, Phil Cowan, Lynetter McLamb,
safety than hitherto. Biopharmaceuticals are likely to reduce Mogodisheng Sekhwela, Andrew Routh, Andy Stubbings, Nita
environmental residues, and improved understanding of Shah and Roger Meyerhoff. They will read echoes of their
pharmacokinetics will lead to improved targeting, delivery contributions in the text of the paper.
and specificity with shorter therapies i.e., smaller residues. It
is hoped this will reduce the risk significantly, but time will References
Breton, R. and Boxall, A. (2003) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products
tell. Nevertheless, there is a need to look at all current in the environment: regulatory drivers and research needs. QSAR Comb
NSAIDS and their potential for toxicity, especially for Sci; 22:399–409.
scavenging birds in light of the diclofenac history. Boxall, A. (2004) The environmental side effects of medication EMBO reports
5 (12) 1110–1116.
Despite global efforts there has been little progress in Cuthbert, R., Parry-Jones, J., Green, R.E. and Pain, D.J (2006) NSAIDs and
preventing the decline of the free-living Gyps vultures in the scavenging birds: potential impacts beyond Asia’s critically endangered
Indian subcontinent. The exact reason for this is complex. It vultures. Biol. Lett. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0554 Published online.
Focazio, M.J., Kolpin, D.W. and Furlong, E.T. (2004) Occurrence of human
appears diclofenac remains available in the South Asia pharmaceuticals in water resources of the United States: a review. In:
region despite a ban on the production of veterinary Kümmerer K, editor. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Sources, Fate,
diclofenac, and contamination of carcasses most probably Effects and Risks. 2nd edition, Berlin, Germany: Springer; 2004. p. 91–105.
Grenn, RE., Taggart, MA., Das D., Pain, D.J., Kumar, C.S., Cunningham, A.A.
continues. Alternate drugs (e.g., meloxicam) have been and Cuthbert, R. (2006) Collapse of Asian vulture populations: risk of
identified and tested, but their uptake is limited due to mortality from residues of the veterinary drug diclofenac in carcasses of
marketing constraints and resistance from farmers for treated cattle. Journal of Applied Ecology 43, 949–956.
Nagler, J.J., Bouma, J., Thorgaard, G.H. and Dauble, D.D. (2001). High
various reasons (Cuthbert et al., 2006). The impacts of other Incidence of a Male-Specific Genetic Marker in Phenotypic Female
potentially toxic substances, especially NSAIDs, in the Chinook Salmon from the Columbia River. Environmental Health
scavenger food chain in that region and globally remain Perspectives 109:67–69.
Taggart, M.A., Cuthbert, R., Das, D., Sashikumar, C., Pain, D.J., Green, R.E.,
unknown. The effect of oestrogenic substances on water Feltrer, Y., Shultz, S., Cunningham, A.A. and Meharg, A.A. (2006)
ecology continues to be monitored, but despite this the Diclofenac disposition in Indian cow and goat with reference to Gyps
situation is not improving visibly. vulture population declines. Environmental Pollution doi:10.1016/j.
envpol.2006.08.017.
It is in the interests of both the pharmaceutical and
conservation perspectives to ensure that an issue such as
that involving diclofenac and vultures does not occur again,
and that known problems, including cumulative oestrogens
in the environment, are resolved. IUCN SSC will do all it can
to support this.
species 51 • 7
CBD explained
By Dena Cator
During the International Year of Biodiversity, governments Progress on achieving the 2010
and organizations from around the world will convene at the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to address the
Biodiversity Target
issue of biodiversity loss. This article outlines the
Almost 20 years after the CBD was created, 192 countries
background to the CBD, the activities planned, IUCN’s role
have become Parties to the Convention. Nine meetings of
and how SSC members can participate.
the Conference of the Parties have taken place where the
evolving content and progress of the work to be undertaken
has been decided. National action plans have been initiated
Background in 170 countries to date (see: http://www.cbd.int/nbsap/),
which provide the platform for national governments to
In response to increasing worldwide biodiversity loss, the
implement the goals and targets of the CBD and provide a
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) started working in the
framework for conserving biodiversity in their own
late 1980s/early 1990s to develop an international treaty to
jurisdictions.
address the issue. The result was the creation of the CBD,
However, much remains to be accomplished and it is
its intent being to: enable the conservation of biological
generally agreed that we have missed the CBD’s target of
diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair
reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. A paper
and equitable sharing of benefits from using genetic
published in Science1 in April 2010 found no evidence for a
resources. The CBD Convention was presented for signing
significant reduction in the rate of decline of biodiversity
in June 1992 at the UN Conference on Environment and
loss, confirming that world leaders have failed to deliver
Development (the Rio “Earth Summit”). It entered into force
commitments made in 2002 to reduce the global rate of
in December 1993 and possesses a number of thematic
biodiversity loss by 2010. The findings are from a study by
programmes of work as well as cross cutting issues (see:
the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP), a collaboration
http://www.cbd.int/programmes/).
of more than 40 international organizations and agencies,
In 2002, 10 years after the CBD was put forward for
including IUCN, which carried out the first comprehensive
signing, its Parties adopted a Strategic Plan which included
assessment on implementation of the 2002 targets for the
as its mission the target of achieving by 2010 “a significant
CBD. The third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook
reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at global,
(GBO3) (see: http://gbo3.cbd.int/resources.aspx), a CITES
regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty
Secretariat and UNEP-WCMC led publication that provides
alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth” – this has
an overview of progress made on implementing the CBD
been known as the 2010 Biodiversity Target. The target has
and the 2010 Biodiversity Target, incorporated the findings
subsequently been endorsed by the World Summit on
of BIP and thus concludes that we are continuing to lose
Sustainable Development and the UN General Assembly
biodiversity at a rate never before seen in history.
(UNGA), as well as incorporated into the UN’s Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), eight international development
goals that all UN member states and a number of
international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year The new CBD Strategic Plan for
2015 (see: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/). post-2010
This Strategic Plan had four main goals with accompanying Following a wide consultation, the CBD has developed a
targets (see: http://www.cbd.int/sp/): proposal for a new post-2010 Strategic Plan that includes
five revised strategic goals and 20 new targets to be met by
Goal 1: The Convention is fulfilling its leadership role in the year 2020. The proposed plan is available at http://www.
international biodiversity issues. cbd.int/doc/meetings/sbstta/sbstta-14/official/sbstta-14-10-
Goal 2: Parties have improved financial, human, scientific, en.pdf.
technical, and technological capacity to implement the The revised CBD Strategic Plan, including its goals and
Convention. targets, reflects two major shifts from the original 2010
Goal 3: National biodiversity strategies and action plans and Biodiversity Target. First, the CBD Secretariat has used a
the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant “driver, pressure, state, impact, response” framework to
sectors serve as an effective framework for the outline the new goals and targets. This means that the
implementation of the objectives of the Convention. targets are much more specific and applied than pre-2010
Goal 4: There is a better understanding of the importance of
biodiversity and of the Convention, and this has led to 1 Butchart, S. et al. (2010) “Global Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines”
broader engagement across society in implementation. Science, Vol 328. 30 April 2010.
8 • species 51feature
– a result of the Parties and the Secretariat’s concern that sector and the development community; cohesion between
previous targets were not specifically addressing the drivers Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other
or pressures of biodiversity loss. Another shift was to make organizations; research, monitoring and assessment;
the new targets SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, engagement with the public sector and other stakeholders;
Realistic and Time-bound. communications; as well as other support mechanisms.
Progress and success in achieving these Strategic Plan A number of recommendations made in this position
targets will be measured through indicators, overseen by the paper were mentioned by Parties during negotiations at
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP), which are currently SBSTTA, indicating that the paper had a substantial impact
planned to be fully developed after the new post-2010 on Parties’ positions on the matter. All of IUCN’s position
Strategic Plan has been agreed upon. In addition, for some of papers for SBSTTA, including IUCN’s position on the post-
the work within the targets, milestones have been set for 2010 Strategic Plan, are available here: http://www.iucn.org/
accomplishment earlier than 2020. about/work/programmes/global_policy/).
IUCN believes that it is essential that the new Strategic
Plan link to the Programmes of Work and other components
2010 activities of the CBD, such as the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation (GSPC) or the Programme of Work on
This is the year that CBD’s 2010 Biodiversity Target will be Protected Areas (PoWPA). Each thematic programme should
assessed and a number of CBD meetings will take place that thus clearly state which targets it contributes to in the
will decide the future direction of the CBD Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan.
post-2010 targets. Two of the main meetings are the 14th IUCN outlines in its position paper that a 2050 Vision for
meeting of the scientific advisory body to the convention, the CBD Strategic Plan should aim not just to halt loss of
known as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and biodiversity but also comprehensively restore the
Technological Advice (SBSTTA), which was held in May in populations, habitats and ecological cycles that enable
Nairobi, and the 10th Conference of the Parties meeting biodiversity goods and services to persist. IUCN further
(CoP10), which will occur 18–29 October in Nagoya, Japan. believes that the CBD Strategic Plan’s mission should be
The purpose of SBSTTA meetings is for country formulated in terms of a level of change rather than rate of
delegations to review the scientific and technical basis for change. In addition, the direct drivers of biodiversity loss
various changes to components of the Convention and make (climate change, resource consumption, pollution, habitat
recommendations to the CoP that will inform their decisions. fragmentation and destruction, unsustainable use of wild
For more information on the agenda items discussed at living resources, alien invasive species, emerging infectious
SBSTTA and the documents, see: http://www.cbd.int/ diseases and bycatch), as well as indirect drivers (resource
doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-14. The proposed new Strategic consumption, globalization, trade, demographic drivers),
Plan, including its goals and targets, was the main focus of need to be addressed specifically and explicitly through the
negotiations at SBSTTA. At the time of writing the Working targets of the new CBD Strategic Plan. Targets for
Group on the Review of Implementation (WGRI) meeting was restoration, as well as ecological and biological connectivity,
in session immediately following SBSTTA and was to make should also be included.
recommendations on concrete approaches for its At the time of writing, an IUCN delegation including
implementation. members of SSC Specialist Groups (e.g. Piero Genovesi,
At CBD CoP10 in October, Parties to the CBD will finalize Sara Oldfield, Liz Radford, Holly Dublin, Geoffrey Howard,
and sign-off on the documents and associated etc.) is attending and contributing to the SBSTTA and WGRI
recommendations related to the various programmes of work meetings. IUCN has made some important interventions on
for CBD, including the new Strategic Plan (and post-2010 issues such as invasive species, the Strategic Plan and the
Biodiversity Target). For more information on the agenda GSPC. Discussions on the GSPC, a main focal area for
items being discussed at CoP10 and the documents, see: IUCN, were enthusiastically positive about the work that has
http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=COP-10 . been stimulated by the strategy since it was adopted in 2002
– the GSPC is largely considered one of the most effective
thematic programmes of the Convention. IUCN’s position
IUCN’s role and position on CBD statement on the proposed updated Plants Strategy was
largely reflected by Parties that made interventions at
IUCN contributed several position papers for the May 2010 SBSTTA, again demonstrating the reach of IUCN’s position
SBSTTA meeting to inform and influence the views and papers and pre-meeting influencing strategy. Target 2 of the
opinions of Parties to the CBD, and new position papers will strategy, which provides a strong mandate for IUCN’s Red
be created for CoP10. The consultation to develop IUCN’s List assessment work, was updated to call for “an
position on the post-2010 Strategic Plan for SBSTTA was one assessment of the conservation status of all known plant
of the most substantial that IUCN has undertaken – hundreds species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action” but
of comments from IUCN members and commission otherwise few substantial changes were made to the targets
members were considered and integrated. The resulting of the GSPC thanks to a thorough consultation process
paper makes specific recommendations for the 2020 guided by the CBD Secretariat before SBSTTA. IUCN also
mission, 2050 vision and framework of five goals and 20 organized or was involved in several well-attended side-
targets. Suggestions regarding how the 2020 mission can be events to communicate its position to CBD Parties and
achieved relate to: finances; engagement with the economic others, including on the GSPC, the CBD Strategic Plan,
species 51 • 9CBD explained
biofuels, sites of biodiversity conservation significance and baseline information, methodologies, etc. For more
payments for ecosystem services. information, contact Jean-Christophe Vié at jcv@iucn.org.
Work with national governments – Specialist Group
Options for SSC involvement members can also communicate directly with their own
governments on work and progress relating to the CBD by
Members of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) can get contacting their national CBD focal points (see: http://www.
involved in the work of the CBD in a number of ways cbd.int/doc/lists/nfp-cbd.pdf for general focal points or
including: http://www.cbd.int/doc/lists/nfp-cbd-powpa.pdf for
PoWPA-specific focal points). These focal points are
Knowledge and information – throughout the process of government representatives who are linked to the CBD
preparing for the various CBD meetings that will take place process. Specialist Group members can ask questions of
in 2010, IUCN has been making an effort to consult with its their national focal points, discuss key issues or
own internal Secretariat, as well as IUCN Commissions, communicate IUCN positions to them. Another approach for
members and partners to obtain their feedback and views influencing national activities is to contribute to National
on how to approach the post-2010 CBD work. This will Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (see: http://www.
continue and additional position papers for the upcoming cbd.int/nbsap/) or the CBD National Reports which
CBD CoP10 meeting will be circulated for review. Specialist document progress on implementation of the CBD at the
Group members are encouraged to be aware of this review national level (see: http://www.cbd.int/reports/).
and consultation process and to contribute their knowledge
and information where relevant – either to the IUCN policy Side events – SSC members can also help contribute to
documents or CBD meeting documents (e.g. for SBSTTA, side events at the CBD CoP10 meeting (see: http://www.
CoP10, etc.). cbd.int/cop10/side-events/?mtg=cop-10).
Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) – Specialist
Group input to indicators led through the BIP initiative would At IUCN, Jane Smart is the lead for CBD policy work (jane.smart@iucn.org)
and Sonia Peña Moreno is the Biodiversity Policy Officer (sonia.pena-
be particularly appreciated, especially relating to design, moreno@iucn.org).
10 • species 51Specialist Group
exchange
Asian Rhino SG Working Group with co-chairs: Adhi Detector monitoring has continued,
Rahmat S Hariyadi and Shantraj however no further calls have been
Meeting in India reviews best Jnewali; the Habitat Management recorded. The reason remains
conservation approaches Group with co-chairs Naresh Subedi speculative, but predation on roosting
and Widodo Ramono; the Human bats by introduced predators, including
A meeting of the Asian Rhino Specialist Rhino Conflict Group with co-chairs giant centipedes, or some form of
Group (AsRSG), held in Kaziranga Rinjen Shrestha and Amit Kumar disease, are both possibilities.
National Park, Assam, India, from 10–12 Sharma; and, the Legal and Policy
February 2010, was attended by about Group with co-chairs Ritesh Paul A. Racey and
50 conservationists from eight Bhattacharjee and Ram Prasad Lamsal. Rodrigo A. Medellín
countries, including delegates from Co-chairs, Bat Specialist Group
government and NGOs. The meeting Bibhab Kumar Talukdar
discussed the status of three species of Chair, Asian Rhino Specialist Group
Asian Rhinos – the Greater One Horned Bison SG – Europe
Rhino, the Sumatran Rhino and the
Javan Rhino. Bat SG Goal to increase population size
Various threat assessments were reached
carried out to review the conservation Field work concludes extinction of
approaches needed to enhance the the Christmas Island Pipistrelle The main goals for European bison
populations and habitats of these three conservation are to increase the
species in their respective ranges. Out Bat Specialist Group member Lindy population size, save the gene pool and
of the three Asian Rhino species, the Lumsden and her team have improve management methods. The first
Javan Rhino is the most Critically documented a precipitous decline in the goal has been successfully fulfilled. In
Endangered with about 40 to 50 rhinos Christmas Island Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus the last ten years, the total population of
living in the wilderness of Indonesia and murrayi), and after several years of the species has increased by 40% and
Vietnam, while Sumatran rhinos have advocating for the establishment of a now exceeds 4,000 individuals. This
been declining rapidly in past decades. captive breeding programme, they were success can be attributed to many
The Greater One Horned Rhino has able to return to the island in August presentations, discussions and field trips
been doing fine in Assam, West Bengal 2009 to attempt the capture of the few by members of our Specialist Group, as
and Uttar Pradesh within India, but it remaining individuals. well as the growing interest of people
faces poaching challenges in Nepal due Unfortunately, only a single and private landowners to be involved.
to the socio-political unrest there. individual was detectable and it evaded The process of saving genetic
During the meeting, the following capture in mist nets and harp traps, variability also requires good co-
members of the AsRSG were appointed before it eventually disappeared. It was operation among bison population
as country co-ordinators: Abdul Hamid last heard on 26 August 2009. Long- managers. There are more than 250
Ahmad – Malaysia; Bhupen N Talukdar term detector monitoring had indicated herds with different status, size and
– India; Shantraj Jnewali – Nepal; and that this was the last area on the island ownership, so implementation of
Widodo Ramono – Indonesia. The where the species remained. Lindy and conservation programmes is
meeting also established several her team reluctantly concluded that the complicated but improves every year.
working groups: the Population species had become extinct. Almost 40% of bison are kept in
Christmas Island Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus
Asian Rhino SG meeting in Kaziranga National Park, India. © SECTIONOV murrayi), © Lindy Lumsden
species 51 • 11The workshops held in Mexico multi-year record of individual growth
and in the United States and group members are attempting to
confirmed the highly threatened convince local managers to
status of the Cactaceae, with systematically collect these
nearly 30% of the species found to measurements.
European Bison (Bison bonasus). © M. Hlawiczka be Critically Endangered,
Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Marco Festa-Bianchet
captivity. Detailed pedigree analyses are Threatened. The next workshop will be Chair, Caprinae Specialist Group
prepared and presented on: http:// held in the Jardin Exotique de Monaco,
ebac.sggw.pl. The Warsaw University and depending on the availability of
laboratory, for example, has analysed funds, additional workshops will be Cat SG
polymorphism within more than 20 loci. organized to assess the remaining
Very important for conservation and species from the West Indies and South A report on the status of cats in
improving the gene pool, especially of America. China expected soon
the Lowland-Caucasian line, are
reintroduction projects conducted in Héctor M. Hernández China has 13 of the 37 existing wild cat
the Orel-Briansk region of Russia and Chair, Cactus and Succulent Specialist species in the world, including
in the Eastern Carpathians in Poland, Group numerous subspecies, and is one of the
Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. In most important countries for the
2009, almost 20 individuals were conservation of felids. The global status
transferred from Germany and France Caprinae SG of cat species living in China and on the
to the Carpathians. IUCN Red List ranges from Least
The second meeting of the Status of all Caprinae revised for Concern to Critically Endangered. For
European Bison Conservation Centre the Red List some species, China is the most
Board is scheduled in May 2010. This significant part of their range. One
Centre is a result of the shared interest In November 2009, the Caprinae species, (Felis bieti), plus several
of many countries to work together, Specialist Group (CSG) co-sponsored subspecies, are endemic to the country.
and the meeting will discuss, among the 5th World Congress on Mountain For these species, global conservation
other issues, the possibility of applying Ungulates in Grenada, Spain, where status assessments are highly
for funds within the EU Life+ frame. papers were presented on the major speculative without reliable information
conservation problems affecting from China. However, information on
Wanda Olech mountain ungulates: habitat distribution, abundance and trends of
Co-chair for Europe, destruction, competition and disease most cat populations in China is too
Bison Specialist Group transmission from domestic livestock, limited, fragmented or outdated to allow
and poor knowledge of distribution, for a regional assessment of their status
abundance and taxonomy of mountain based on IUCN Red List criteria.
Cactus and Succulent ungulates in Asia. Therefore, more data on cat populations
The CSG revised the status of all in China would not only allow for a
Plant SG Caprinae for the Red List, despite very regional assessment, but would also
limited information for many Asiatic advance global assessments and the
Update on the Global Cactus species, particularly the forest-dwelling identification of conservation needs.
Assessment rupicaprids serow and goral. The Group In 2009, the Cat Specialist Group
maintains active links with several initiated a project, Cats in China, at a
The Global Cactus Assessment has conservation and international hunting workshop in Beijing. The project has
continued at a good pace with three organizations to attempt to ensure that two goals: (1) to create a network of cat
regional workshops completed to date. ‘conservation hunting’ of mountain conservation specialists for China to
The Cactus and Succulent Plant SG ungulates actually lives up to its name, improve or develop monitoring methods
(CSSG) members and regional experts with tangible benefits for habitat for cats in the
have now assessed the totality of the protection and the application of country and
Mexican and Mesoamerican cactus science to harvest plans. Ongoing to help the
species, including most taxa from the research on a number of species is Cat
southwestern United States. The testing the potential impacts of selective Specialist
project, coordinated by CSSG member harvests on demography and
Bárbara Goettsch, has been population genetics.
sponsored by CONABIO, CONANP, Also, long-term monitoring
Conservation International, INE, programmes are providing useful
Chester Zoo and the Desert Botanical information on how climate change
Garden, and has benefitted from the affects demography and individual
continuous support of IUCN Red List growth. As many species form distinct
facilitators from the Species growth rings each winter, measurement
Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). © A. Sliwa
Programme. of annual horn increments provides a
12 • species 51Group and Chinese institutional partners with fisheries, while the second event, a
improve surveys and conservation of live stranding, resulted from accidental
China’s cat species; and, (2) to publish entrapment in a shallow estuary1.
a baseline report (in English and Following on from this, Iran and the
Chinese) on the distribution and seven other countries that border the
Grey Crowned Crane
conservation status of cat species in Persian Gulf asked the CSG to organize (Balearica regulorum).
China. This report will be published in training workshops to guide each © Jim Harris, International Crane Foundation
the summer of 2010 as a Special Issue country in establishing national marine
of Cat News. The project is a mammal stranding networks with the biologists and risk assessment
collaborative effort between the National objective of collecting baseline data so specialists are putting together
Wildlife Research and Development that they are better prepared to respond preliminary population viability models
Centre (NWRDC), Department of to future mass strandings. The CSG that will be used to evaluate alternative
Wildlife Conservation of the State also conducted the first review of marine reintroduction strategies among
Forestry Administration, Cat Specialist mammal records from Iran, revealing a proposed sites across Sahelo-Saharan
Group and Chinese and international cat diverse fauna of at least 14 species2. It Africa. The CBSG will be identifying and
conservationists. continues to offer advice and guidance ranking biological and non-biological
to Iran and ROPME as requested. criteria to be used in the evaluation of
Christine Breitenmoser and 1 Braulik, G.T., Savadkouhi, O.S., Fadakar, S., alternative reintroduction sites as part of
Mohammadi, H., Brownell Jr., R.L., Reeves, R.
Urs Max Breitenmoser the final phase of recovery planning for
R., Nabavi, M.B. and Fernandez, A. 2010. A
Co-chairs, Cat Specialist Group retrospective investigation of two dolphin
the species.
mass mortality events in Iran, Autumn 2007. A third meeting linked to the
Zoology in the Middle East 49:13–26. proposed Conference of the Convention
Cetacean SG 2 Braulik, G.T., Ranjbar, S., Owfi, F., Aminrad, T., on Migratory Species of Wild Animals in
Dakhteh, S.M.H., Kamrani, E. and
Libya will use the population viability
Mohsenizadeh, F. 2010. Marine mammal
Dolphin strandings in Iran reveal records from Iran. Journal of Cetacean
models and the ranked criteria to
diverse marine fauna Research and Management 11 (1):49–63. choose optimal reintroduction projects
in selected parts of the species’ range.
In the autumn of 2007, there were two Randall Reeves
dolphin mass stranding events, involving Chair, Cetacean Specialist Group Robert Lacy
at least two species (Spinner Dolphins, Gill Braulik Chair, Conservation Breeding
Stenella longirostris, and Striped Contributor and member of CSG Specialist Group
Dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba) and
152 individuals, along the coast of Iran.
Despite having 1,700 km of coastline, Conservation Crane SG
the marine mammals of Iran are virtually
unknown. However, the response from Breeding SG New study shows Sudan is the
the media and some controversy over biggest exporter of African cranes
the possible causes of the strandings Oryx re-introduction slated in
led the Iranian Department of the ancestral range African Crowned Cranes have declined
Environment and the Regional sharply (Black Crowned Cranes, 22% to
Organization for the Protection of the The Conservation Breeding Specialist 33% in the last 20 years). The Black
Marine Environment (ROPME) in the Group (CBSG) facilitated a workshop in Crowned Crane is being uplisted to
Persian Gulf to invite the Cetacean Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, in Vulnerable this year, while the Grey
Specialist Group (CSG) to conduct an November 2009 to assemble Crowned Crane was uplisted to
independent, retrospective and scientific information on the status of captive Vulnerable last year on the IUCN Red
investigation into these incidents. Scimitar-horned Oryx (Oryx dammah) List, with key threats to both species
Conclusions were that the first event worldwide, and to begin assembling including removal from the wild for
was most likely caused by interactions information on potential reintroduction domestication and international trade.
sites throughout its ancestral range. In response, the African Crane Trade
This workshop brought together nearly Project has made significant
30 experts from northern Africa, the headway. In 2009, Black and Grey
Arabian Peninsula, Europe and North Crowned Cranes were included in the
America to discuss the ways in which CITES Significant Trade Review
captive oryx can most effectively serve process, which requires that all
as founder stock for reintroductions into countries exporting wild-caught cranes
countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal show that their exports do not impact
and Niger. wild populations. This action was linked
To continue this work, two additional to a motion endorsed at the IUCN World
workshops have been planned. In the Conservation Congress in 2008, asking
Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris). interim, oryx habitat and distribution the world to minimize the trade in wild-
© Isabel Beasley
maps are being constructed, and caught African cranes. A study recently
species 51 • 13You can also read
